Human Development Foundation (HDF) Pakistan came into existence in June 1999. It is a subsidiary of Human Development Foundation of North America (HDFNA) that was established and registered in 1997 at Chicago, Illinois, USA as a non-profit organization. A group of Pakistani Americans, mostly physicians, living in the United States, initially started work in Pakistan in 1989, in maternal and Child Healthcare, through APPNA SEHAT (Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America). The group felt that only healthcare was not enough and thus created HDFNA, which implements its programs in Mass Literacy, Enhanced Quality of Education, Primary Health Care, and Grassroots Economic Development through HDF Pakistan.
HDF Pakistan has also been registered in Pakistan as a Public Limited Company under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984 in year 2000.


Project objectives:
Conservation of insect biodiversity in our target area by the year 2012.
Reduce cost of the target farming communities by 60% incurred on pesticides.
Tapping Donor other than GEF-SGP (UNDP) till Feb.2009
Target Community empowerment for sustainable handling of the project themselves by March 2012.
Reduce health hazards for cotton growers.
Awareness workshop for Nazims, Naibnazims and landlords, influencial of cotton industry.
Initiation the process of organic cotton registration with relevant authorities.

Activities to be carried out under project:

In order to achieve the above objectives, the following activities shall be carried out:
Social mobilization training of IPM staff.
Integrated pest management activities will be carried out on 800 acres of Union Council 45-P and Bagh-o-Bahar.(chack-102-1L & 103,105,106,107,108,109,110,112,115,116,117,118,119,120,121,123,124,125 -1L)
Target community awareness campaign through monthly community meetings by HDF social mobilization staff.

Scheduled meeting with the existing 20 FFS per month for keeping the target community updated by broadening their knowledge base regarding cotton IPM regular practices and new challenges and developments.

Para-specialist?s monthly meeting.

Effective use of laboratory for the rearing of beneficial insects for meeting the requirement of the target area.
Provision of inputs for rearing beneficial insects
Education for the use of natural product like Neem Oil, and Organic Pesticides etc.

Introduction of integrated crop management (ICM) in target area i.e over-wintering of cotton pests.

Refreshing the modules of cotton IPM.

Awareness of effective Microbes (EM technology)

Awareness workshop for Nazims. Naib Nazims, notables/progressive farmers, line departments and representatives of local government will be conducted.

Educate farmers to comply with the international quality standards regarding pesticides residues in the exportable commodities.

Follow up sample survey of the cotton crop to determine the extent of pest damage and average number of insecticide sprays being applied by the farming communities.
Initiation of the process of organic cotton registration.
Data collection, field monitoring and evaluation of data.
Reporting and documentation of the findings.

Anticipated output of project:
Demonstration of IPM/ICM of Cotton pest for direct benefit to the farming communities and selected villages of the UC 45-P and Bagh-o-Bahar of Tehsil Khan Pur and District Rahim Yar Khan.
Reduced number of pesticides sprays including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Up to 60% in current year.
Decreased incidence of Insecticide related diseases by educating the area people through FFS.
Cost on pesticides decreased to Rs 1500-2000 per acre in the targeted area.
Community capacity building for undertaking the project.
Increase in awareness level of local government representatives, governments departments and notables of the area.

2. Justification for Support - Linkages with GEF Themes and Operational Programs (not more than 300 words)
Following reasons paved path for the continuous support for the development of cotton IPM project in District Rahim Yar Khan.
Rahim Yar Khan is the best suitable piece of land with favorable climatic condition for cotton crop in Pakistan and is the main cash crop of the area with no substitute.
The indiscriminate use of pesticides resulting in high cost of crop and health hazards for human as well as live stock.
First years? investment in shape of money and time in the proposed activity by UNDP-HDF and ECI resulted in a fruitful manner. The local community is in the phase of internalization of the IPM methodology and its extension will help achieve the themes of GEF/SGP.
Elimination of Human friendly organisms from environment that result in degradation of biodiversity.
Non availability of support organization for provision of guidance and techniques.
Non- availability of IPM services in the area on continuous basis.
Low literacy rate and un-awareness about the hazardous effects of pesticide.
Increased environmental pollution including soil, water and air.
Increase in poverty by increasing the prices of pesticides.
The aims and goals of the project are, if on one side very fundamental and indigenous at the same time on other hand, are very important and indispensable. Though the project has started very recently and it will take a considerable period to bring awareness among the farmers about the cotton IPM, its replication and consolidation in the whole area.

3. Context/Baseline (not more than 300 words)
Background
Pakistan is very fertile for cotton crops and eminent for cotton by-products through out the world. Cotton crop in particular is the mainstay of Punjab and Sindh for centuries and its practices have paved way for bringing in new developments. The extensive cotton farming since 1970 raised the problem of pest and provided a solid base for using pesticides and thereon a discriminative use of pesticides crossed all limits. This usage although resulted in short term management of pest but as majority of the pesticides are carcinogenic in nature and having long term polluting effect on air, soil and water. In addition indiscriminate use of pesticide causes pest resistance and pest resurgence. Last but not the least worth mentioning factor is the increasing cost of pesticides for the rural poor.
During the year 2005 GDF-SGP (UNDP) funded HDF for cotton IPM in Rahim Yar Khan Region with the basic objective conservation of insect biodiversity in the area. The administrative and operational requirements were fulfilled and initially an area of 500 Acres spread over 19 villages (Chaks) was selected for the project with 395 growers in UC 45-P.
Previous years? activities constructively resulted as follows:
? Mass awareness about cotton IPM in the targeted area.
Number of growers selected 500
Male 450,
Female 50, Farmers with Land 395
Without Land selected 105 (50 female -55 male)
Number of Acres 500(scheduled)
Estimated area under IPM around 1000 acres
FFS 20
Sessions in FFS 100(i.e. 1/school/month for 5 Months
Para specialist trained 19

? Cost effectiveness of IPM project:

Controlled Treated Ratio
Cost per Acre 2,147 368 85:15
Cost on 10 Acres as per analysis 21,470 3,675 85:15
Cost on 500 Acre as per trends 1,073,500 183,750 85:15





5. Project Strategy (not more than 600 words)
Last year HDF had the opportunity to lead the way in Cotton IPM with the financial support of UNDP and technical hand of ECI. By that time it was a quiet new experience for HDF to manage the project cycle of the IPM. HDF believes in absorption of technical knowledge at the organizational level for a pioneering project like Cotton IPM as an integral factor to run a new activity on a continuous basis.
Previous years? experience of managing the cotton IPM project cycle led HDF to internalize the capacity required for the smooth running of the project both at managerial and implementation level. Right now HDF has all the prerequisites required for the further implementation of cotton IPM in terms of infrastructure and personnel.
HDF approach for the effective implementation of this dynamic project is directed on active Community participation and an imminent role of Agricultural Extension Department and CRI (Cotton Research Institute, R.Y.Khan), Agriculture University Faisalabad. The multifarious capacities of all these stakeholders will be fully capitalized upon for adding value to the IPM activities in order to achieve the objectives associated with the project.
HDF is enjoying worth to be kept rapport with the community through its years of presence and support in the development of the area. HDF social mobilization team will be responsible for strengthening social contacts with growers. Social Mobilization team will make all arrangements regarding FFS conduction in terms of contacting the growers as well as their mobilization and awareness through all possible sources to make the project a successful endeavor. HDF will also train Para specialists for passing the technical knowledge to the communities and speeding up the activities. The local Para-specialist/ Master Trainer/s may be able to be used as resource persons in other given/specified areas leading to earning and income. The reason is simple that IPM has multiple impacts on their lives in term of improved environmental and biodiversity situation, increase in income and least health hazards. Selected community in the project area will be responsible for the implementation of IPM project under the supervision of HDF (Technical staff).
Biological control based IPM will be the main technical strategy to manage the pest problem by giving alternate control measures. Following insect pests of cotton will be taken into account under the project.
Sucking Insect Pests: These will include whitefly Bemesia tabaci, Jassids Ampoasca devastans and aphid Aphis gossypii
Bollworms/Lepidopterant caterpillars: These will include pink bollworm Pecktinophora gossypiella, Spotted bollworm Earis insulana and E. vitella. American bollworm Helicoverpa armigera and Armyworm Spodoptera litura and S. epsilon
Methodology
Pest infestation-data will by taken by IPM technical staff/Para-specialist/Master Trainee as per direction of HDF Technical staff, through counting the number of cotton insects/pests, early in the morning on weekly basis on upper, middle and lower leaves from ten randomly selected plants from each replicate.
Mass rearing of natural enemies including predators and parasites such as Chrysoperla carnea, Trichogramma chilonis and Coccinelids will be done in the biological control laboratory on artificial diet and wheat respectively.
Mass releases of C. carnea will be started on appearance of sucking pests and that of T. Chilonis, when bollworm infestation will start under the direct supervision of HDF.
Similarly, the pheromone traps for monitoring and management of different bollworms will be applied in the experimental field as per requirement by CBOs in light of technical recommendation by HDF.
Regular pest scouting and monitoring will be conducted by each CBO in close collaboration with HDF Technical staff, to determine the level of insect incidence throughout the season. It will help to understand
Fluctuation in population of insect pests of cotton and their natural enemies
Pinpointing hot spots/ pockets of insect pests/ natural enemies
Determine the extent of pest damage and determine the need for average number of insecticide sprays
The farmers will be trained to recognize the insect pest, their damage and natural enemies through FFS and experience sharing visits.
They will also be trained to utilize natural enemies at proper time.
Published material in the form of modules, pamphlets, brochures and charts etc. will also be supplied to the farmers.
Farmers will be guided in adopting pest resistant cotton verities to reduce the farmer?s reliance on use of persistent and highly toxic agrochemicals.
On farm individual and participatory group meeting will be organized to implement bio-control based cotton IPM. These meetings will serve as on farm training keeping in view following modules
Pre sowing insect pest management
Augmentation, conservation and redistribution of natural enemies
Cultural management including hoeing, weed management and thinning of plants
Post sowing insect pest management
Insect pest management at the time of flowering
Insect pest management at the time of boll formation
Insect pest management after post harvest
The improvement in local biodiversity will lead to enhance environmental situations and reduce the risk of hazardous impacts on farmers. The project design has to get the growers a certification which will help them to sell their organic cotton in the international market on high prices helping the poor farming communities to earn handsome revenues. With the achievement of the proposed objectives and activities there is a great potential that the model will be replicated and adopted locally. Once the facts and impacts of the projects are established, it has the potential to attract various international research institutions and donors.

Description of technical details and requirements
The community based cotton IPM (integrated pest management) program will be carried out in two complements i.e. the teaching of the community (FFS-Farmer Field Schools) and the provision and transferring of technical support i.e. in terms of beneficial insects (either reared in biological control laboratory or collected from field for further augmentation). For the satisfaction of the technical side the bio-lab is well furnished with the required tools and instruments.

Experience from similar projects
There are a growing number of such biological control-based institutions/laboratories through out Pakistan. In these laboratories, the whole activities are based on environment-friendly processes. Following is a brief description of IPM labs location.
Faran Sugar Mills, Sheikh Bhirkio, Hyderabad
Mehran Sugar Mills, Tando Allah Yar, Hyderabad
Matiari Sugar Mills, Matiari, Hyderabad
Fauji Sugar Mills, Tando Mohammad Khan, Hyderabad
Khoski Sugar Mills, Tando Mohammad Khan, Hyderabad
Dewan Sugar Mills, Thatta, Sind
Digri Sugar Mills, Digri, Hyderabad
Habib Sugar Mills, Sind
Jamal Din Wali Sugar Mills, Rahim Yar Khan
Shahtaj Sugar Mills, Mandi Bahauddin
Noon Sugar Mills, Mandi Bahauddin
Kohi-Noor Sugar Mill, Jauharabad
Yousuf Sugar Mills, Mirajabad, Sargodha
Abdullah Sugar Mills, Okara
Haseeb Waqas Sugar Mills, Sheikhupura
Agricultural University of Faisalabad
Cotton Research Institute Multan
Cotton Research Station Vehari

Technical expertise with the NGO
A number of NGOs and institutions have been working on integrated pest management crops like sugarcane, cotton and orchards. Among them, a well known name is ?Eco-Conservation Initiatives?. The same NGO have remained as Technical Consultants of the same project in last year.
HDF has a team of experienced IPM Experts, which include Project Manager having the five year experience of running the IPM projects. While, the Field Coordinator has two year experience of the same field. More over the team has one year experience of running the successful project in the same area.
Technical assistance required from LIFE/GEF
LIFE/GEF can extend its expertise towards the project by putting the evaluation responsibilities on some expert of the field for the project evaluation in the right direction.
Identification of local expertise; NGO, Govt. departments and academia etc. and how it will be utilized by the project
Following local expertise has been identified, working in the same field of IPM in different modes and methodologies i.e. Cotton Research Institute (CRI), in Multan and RahimYar Khan working on resistant verities of cotton.
WWF and National Agriculture Research Council (NARC) are working on IPM on preventive methods (without any laboratory) in Bahawalpur.
Experience sharing process will be initiated according to availability of funds and time.
7. Anticipated Results (not more than 300 words)
Demonstration of IPM/ICM of Cotton pest for direct benefit to the farming communities and selected villages of the UC 45-P and Bagh-o-Bahar of Tehsil Khan Pur and District Rahim Yar Khan.
Reduced number of pesticides sprays including Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). Up to 60% in current year.
Decreased incidence of Insecticide related diseases by educating the area people through FFS.
Cost on pesticides decreased to Rs 1500-2000 per acre.